Lonely Planet describes Ferrara as "a heavyweight Renaissance art city peppered with colossal palaces and still ringed by its intact medieval walls, Ferrara jumps out at you like an absconded Casanova (he once stayed here) on the route between Bologna and Venice. But, like any city situated in close proximity to La Serenissima ('The Most Serene' Venetian Republic), it is serially overlooked, despite its Unesco World Heritage status. As a result, Venice avoiders will find Ferrara's bike-friendly streets and frozen-in-time palazzi relatively unexplored and deliciously tranquil."

Got a question? Email us by clicking the icon opposite. Or join our fortnightly huddles from Sat March 1st @ 1:30pm EST! See the Calendar on the home page for Zoom details.

For more tourist information click here

Timings

• Sunday June 15th to Saturday June 21st with competition days running 9am - 6.30pm - Tuesday to Friday.
• See below for the provisional program

Selection

• To be considered for selection players must usually be age 16 and over.
• There is an exception for players in age range 13-16 who merit selection based on ability.
• Players must have completed the SUDS registration process by April 15th.

Objectives

• To provide a sporting, fun, and safe environment for players with Down syndrome to train & compete in the games of basketball & futsal (a 5 a-side indoor variation of soccer). 
• To meet and make new friends in the international community

The Competition

• Futsal - Palaboschetto - Via De Marchi, 4-44124, Ferrara

• Participants - Ireland, Italy, Poland, Turkey, USA

• Basketball - Palpalestre "Padre John Caneparo" - Viale F. Tumiati, 5-44122, Ferrara

• Participants - Argentina, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Turkey, USA

Videos from the 2021 event can be seen here.

Accommodation
The LOC will provide 3* and 4* hotel accommodation with single double or triple rooms. The average distance from the sports facilities being about 2 miles. Please let us know your requirements by completing this short survey here.

Visas & Passports for Italy?

• ETIAS, stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System and is a travel authorization that will soon become mandatory for travelers entering Schengen Area countries. Implementation is scheduled mid-year 2025 with a possible grace period.
• Passports – it is advisable to have at least six months to run on your passport when you travel to Italy.

Costs

The entry and accommodation fees for players and supporters are:

• $980 per person for accommodation in a double (or triple) room
• $1,185 per person for accommodation in a single room

All entry fees include full board accommodation for 6 nights, transportation, the SU DS capitation tax for 1 (one) sport and the Welcome Kit, as well as the Social  Programme and any ceremonies to be held during the Championships.

Additional costs are the DSSA fee and flights. The DSSA fee is currently estimated to be $1,200 and covers coaches transport and accommodation, coaches and players uniform and DSSA sports event insurance*. 

So, on current estimates, for an athlete and two supporters sharing a triple room the total cost would be around $4,100 + flights.

*This insurance does not cover personal travel and accident insurance which individuals should arrange for their player and supporters